Fiery Confinement
by Sayuri-Jen
Summary: Whenever a fire occurs in the room, a possessed woman gets trapped there. But they have nothing in common and don't know each other... What do the spirits want? Eh, me too! Usual hinted Mai
1. Chapter 1

It's my first GH fanfic, but I hope that you'll enjoy it anyway. Trust me, it gets better as it continues on. Thanks for giving it a shot!

Disclaimer: Oh if I owned Ghost hunt, Naru would have asked someone out by now

**AN **I just went and revised this chapter. Nothing big

File 10: Part 1 – Fiery Confinement 

It was the grandest house I had ever seen or set foot in. It had a slight European sense of furnishing and grand prestige. I felt a bit uncomfortable being in a mansion that seemed like only royalty were fit to live in. An elderly man around his late fifties, who was our recent client, politely encountered us at its entrance.

"Thank you for coming. It's this way to the study room." Sou-san motioned. The room where we'd hold our usual base.

We were escorted up a flight of stairs, near which was a great oversized window looking over the backyard gardens. I saw multiple colors all around an old oak and lake, but only one type of flower.

"Ehh…There are only Chrysanthemums. " I noticed.

Ayako nodded. "It's probably because this place is near a grave or something.."

"Oh near a place like this?…Ne Naru, aren't they beautiful though?"

He didn't respond, but I saw the smallest tilt of his head towards me and his emotions were, as usual, unreadable. _Am I supposed to answer?_ I guessed him thinking. I sighed and let it pass.

Sou-san slightly paused in his steps and glanced out the window as I had. "There is a separated area with gravestones farther along the path next to the tree. It's from the story that the daughter of the first owners of the mansion had quite a liking to the Chrysanthemums. She disappeared with her lover 50 years ago after a fire. Their bodies were never found."

We all stopped to look at Sou-san. He hadn't mentioned this much about the case issue yet. He sensed our eyes and looked back at us before continuing upward to the second story. "It is her spirit that possessed the girls throughout the years and now my daughter because she wants to be reunited with her love. At least, that has been the hypothesis all this time. We don't know why the fires start, though."

Bou-san seemed slightly impressed. He leaned over and whispered in my ear. "He's tried to figure it out himself."

We'd reached the upper story and walked down a small hallway into a separated room. There were four chairs set out with a small, mahogany coffee table between them. The rest of the room's furnishings were hidden beneath dust cloths and pushed against one side of the room, out of the way.

"Forgive me, but we had limited time setting up the room. I think this place would be the most suitable for you."

"Thank you." Naru replied. "Then if we could spend some time retrieving our equipment…"

Sou-san shortly nodded and smiled. "Of course."

"Mai."

I smiled and raised a thumb. "I know."

A Few Days Ago

We were in the office of SPR, and had a new client. He had arrived with a young girl, around her early 20s, whom I expected to be his daughter. I had put down the tea for our guest, Naru, Bou-san, Ayako and myself. As I'd sat down in the seat next to Naru, I could hear Lin start typing into his laptop from across the room in his usual seat.

I had found out that Lin hadn't meant to be cantankerous when he had refused my offerings of tea, but that he just didn't enjoy drinking it like we did. So I had dropped off a cup of coffee to which he had given a thankful nod.

"My name is Sou Tamaki. This is my daughter Kana."

Naru then deliberately set down his teacup. "She's the one who's been possessed?"

"Hai, twice." Kana interjected. Her face had been lowered, both hands clasped together upon her lap. Naru had turned towards her and nodded to ask her to continue.

"Whenever it happens, I don't remember much after I awaken. But I keep seeing a situation in my dreams, and I suspect that it is similar to them."

"Dream?"

She'd nodded and finally looked up at us. "I'm trapped in a great fire. A man is calling to me, and no matter how hard I try, I can't reach him. I awake when the flames start to blind me."

My brows had drawn closer, a dark shiver running down my spine.

"The first time, she was slightly burned and the second time, I had barely made it in time. It's been a month now and even though Kana's been away with her aunt, I can't help but feel…worried." I'd been startled when Sou-san had suddenly raised his voice . "Will you please accept this case?" The two across the table had looked at us with desperate looks. I'd been sure of what the answer would be.

Naru had nodded, receiving sighs of relief. Sou-san had then asked when we'd be able to come over. He lived not an hour away from our office. Naru was silent for a moment, and I'd realized that Lin-san had even stopped his typing. He had eyed everyone for a confirmation and then gave nod to the man. "How's tomorrow sound?"

Inserts OP music :p

November Thursday morning 

Naru began his talk while Bou-san was helping me put up the monitors up onto the shelves.

"The room the fire had occured in is down the hallway, the last door to the left. That was were Kana-san was found after her 'dreams'. Mai, after you're through with that, we'll go take a look."

I nodded and quickened my pace. "Hai."

* * *

"In here."

From the outside it had looked normal and clean. But as soon as Naru had opened the door, we all gasped at the sight of a blackened mess. Naru was the only one who wasn't surprised and who made any motions to walk inside.

Ayako hesitated. "W-wait, is it really safe in there?"

Without a word, he strode in and from the center of the room and gave the place a glance. Ash still seemed to be floating around him, as if the fire had happened only hours before. I heard Ayako hmph behind me and I meekly smiled.

Bou-san and I put down at the entrance the cords and camera we'd brought with us just in case. We followed Naru's lead and cautiously entered to inspect the area. With nearly everything blackened from the past fire, I couldn't even tell what some of the objects were. I was afraid to touch anything, lest it crumble apart.

"Eh, this was an awful fire." Bou-san mentioned. He was inspecting a nearby wall with a hand under his chin. "It burned through a layer in the wall before being put out."

I slowly raised a finger to a lift up a dark, flat object from the remains of what looked like a desk, but it cracked and fell to the floor. I lurched back with surprise. "Ah!"

"Careful, okay?" Ayako said. The miko seemed to have already gotten over the fear of the floor breaking down from their feet. She walked in farther into the room and to the opposite side of the door. "Well, at least the fireplace didn't burn up."

I followed. As she had mentioned, the fireplace looked like it had been added into the room after the fire had occurred. None of its stone edges were blacked, only a thin layer of soot and dust surrounded it.

"Isn't that sort of the point of being a fireplace? Being fireproof?"

"Is it?" Ayako asked as she peeked up the chimney, being careful of trickling down soot.

Bou-san had noticed us and walked over. He leaned over with us, hands on hips. "Find something interesting?"

"Mm-mm. Nothing really."

Naru suddenly spoke. "It's been 50 years and _now_ they've decided to act." More than awed, he sounded annoyed.

Bou-san cocked his head a bit. I knew he didn't like it when Naru kept the information from us. "Naru-chan, what exactly are the facts?"

Naru kept his arms crossed as he turned to us. "It seems that after the accident had occurred –the original fire – each woman that had been possessed died a decade apart from each other. Three of them have perished so far. After the deaths and knowing it's history, why wouldn't the house be shut down?"

_Three lives? Burned? _It was probably a horrible way to die. The strange thing was that the deaths had happened like a pattern.

Thursday night

"Naru, the temperatures for the rooms."

He took them without a word and skimmed through the data. Nothing seemed to really interest him, and I knew that none of the temperatures had been abnormal. I stretched my fingers and raised both my arms with a sigh.

"Ahhh…don't make me do it again. Recording all the rooms of a mansion isn't easy you know."

When I peeked an eye at him, Naru was passing the chart to Lin-san. He started giving me the usual directions.

"We seem to not have enough cameras for every room. Put up the night-vision cameras, thermograph and sound-gathering microphones in the burnt room, the rooms everyone will be staying in, and the hallways of the second story."

I nodded, making sure Bou-san had heard as well. Then I pretended to be dejected. _More work..._

Naru didn't even bat an eyelash. "Good. It's a job you should be used to by now." He'd heard my sigh.

Turning around with annoyance, I picked up a microphone and strode out of the room. "Fine!" Honestly, couldn't he say thank you? He knew how to plead politely, hell even sometimes with a cocky manner. But he sparingly used the word. The last time I'd heard 'Thank you' with true appreciation had been after the phone call at school, offering me the part-time job.

_That had sounded really nice…_

…

"Ehh…Where do you think Naru would want the night-vision camera?"

I looked around the burnt room and processed Bou-san's question. I thought a bit before choosing the corner of the room where the wall with the door and the wall perpendicular to it met. "This way we can see through the center of the room to the opposite window."

"Okay, let's go then. Ah, being old sure takes its toll." He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed pitifully, the result actually turning out silly.

I let out a small giggle and started following him out of the room. Then suddenly, I felt a strong sort of feeling that I should turn the camera, an overwhelming sense. _What is this feeling?_ Walking back to the corner, I stood in front of the camera and tilted it to the left a bit so that the fireplace would also be shown. There.

"Mai? We have to finish the other rooms too you know."

"Coming!" I ran out after him.

…

Naru stood with his back against a chair, his hands folded and deep in thought. Lin-san was getting up from the table with his laptop back to his usual seat in front of the monitors. No doubt he'd been typing up the script between Naru and our client, because Sou-san had just passed me and Bou-san down the hallway back to the base.

Entering and slouching down in the nearest chair, I asked. "Did you get the rest of his story Naru?"

My boss nodded.

After a second, Bou-san smiled and raised an eyebrow. "Want to tell us about it?"

Ayako answered for us. "It's just the usual. Evil spirits, no idea whose it is, although Sou-san is certain it's the guy that died. And aslo there's thudding, more along the walls than from the ceilings."

My eyes widened at the familiar description. _Rapping sounds?_

"Each time Sou tried to repair the room, there had been…disturbances."

I sat up straighter in my seat and leaned in, now interested. "The spirit wasn't happy about the intrusion, right?"

"Yeah. The opposite results of a normal spirit. A fire even engulfed one construction worker. It scared them away. He didn't die, but got a pretty bad second degree burn."

I unconsciously brought a hand to my face. There was a bit of silence where we were lost in our individual thoughts. I imagined the worker consumed by flames with no way out of his torture and got a chill down my back. No, I pushed those thoughts out of my mind. Ayako soon decided to share hers.

"I wonder if one of us will get possessed."

"Eh?" Not what I'd been really expecting. "As in you or me?"

Ayako looked at me and gave a half-hearted shrug. "I think that the young girl's spirit is possessing women to make them go through the terrible, same fate as hers."

"I'm sure being burned alive wouldn't be something you would like to experience, Matsuzaki-san." Though Naru had spoken with seriousness, I could tell that he was irritating her.

Bou-san smiled evilly. "She probably would want to possess only young, pretty girls I bet." He raised both his hands with a mock shrug. "You won't have to worry about a thing Ayako."

"What?!"

I tilted my head to one side with a giggle. "Let's hope that doesn't happen though."

Bou-san sat down beside me and mentioned out loud, "It's sort of like our second case isn't it? The mother who gathered the spirits of children while searching for her daughter?"

Naru's low voice cut through our conversation. "No two cases can have exactly the same cause." He put a hand under his chin and nodded. "However, comparing them to similar ones can be helpful."

Bou-san tried to continue his speculations. "Well, then maybe–"

But he was interrupted by an urgent call.

"Naru!"

We all turned with a quick sense of worried fear at Lin's sudden yell. The tone of his voice could only mean trouble. We rushed over to the multiple screens Lin was monitoring. Before we could ask what was wrong, it was clearly obvious. One of the screens was a flashing, almost blinding gray that danced this way and that.

"A fire!" Ayako's eyes brightened and flickered from the reflection of the screens. "Why aren't the alarms going off?"

Naru leaned in for a closer look, as did Bou-san and I moved out of their way. I started making my way towards the door. "We have to get – "

"Mai, wait." Naru's calm voice held me back, but I turned to him with impatience.

"But Naru!"

"No, it's not a real fire."

"Eh?" I could see the flames clearly on the screen. Ayako seemed confused as well, but Bou-san guided my head to a certain angle.

"See how the flames aren't licking up the walls?"

With a flick of his finger, Naru flipped on a number of switches. Suddenly, the screen showing the fiery room turned different shades of blue and white. "There aren't any changes in the normal room temperature." He mentioned.

I sighed with a raised eyebrow. "I see that. Well then it's only an illusion?"

Naru had a finger to his chin and I knew it would be impossible to get anything out of him at that moment. I turned to the monk on the other side of Naru. "Bou-san?"

"Hmm, something about it unsettles me though…"

Ayako stepped back and looked at Naru, Lin and Bou-san. "Shouldn't we go check it out anyway?" She snapped.

I was just about to back her up, when something in the screen caught my eye. Gasping I leaned in, bumping in a bit into Naru's arm. I gasped loudly. He leaned away and watched me intently. "What do you see?"

_Is he serious?_

There was no mistake about it. Someone was in the fire. He or she were crawling towards the window, a melting figure of blackened clothes and burning flesh. My eyes widened and I couldn't turn away from the gruesome sight. "Someone…someone's there!" I could hardly hear my own shaken voice.

Then I broke myself away from the sight and began my way down to the room at the end of the hallway. "Oy!" Bou-san shouted. "Wait, don't leave alone! Mai!"

I ignored his calls. _Couldn't they see? Didn't they notice the burning person?_

…

I could hear Bou-san's worried voice calling for me from down the hallway, but they had become distant. The door opened without resistance of rusty hinges and without thinking about the possibility of danger, I burst in.

No one was there. My eyes widened. No fire.

"Eh?"

As Naru had presumed, there was no fire. The room I had intruded into was silent and still with darkness. The air had actually gone a bit chilly and I guessed that it was because of the opened window. As I went to close them, I stopped in my tracks and stared at the billowing curtains. They had been closed and tied shut earlier… I was denying the fact that it could be the presence of a ghost or spirit.

The temperature must have been near freezing point by then. I could see my breath. I neared the place where I'd seen the person on the camera. _It was near here…_ Looking down, my sight froze.

"Mai!"

It wasn't a moment after discovering the marks when Bou-san, Naru and Ayako burst in, and when the walls around us began to shake with fearful power. Slowly at first, and then from one wall and then another, as if something was being bounced off of them. I heard Ayako yell out. Far off, I heard the camera fall over from its stand.

"Nau-maku-san-manda, Bazara-dan-kan!"

After a small clatter of the glass windows the shaking reluctantly stopped and I looked behind to see Naru flick on the lights.

"What do you think you were doing running off like that?" Bou-san demanded. "Are you alright?"

"Because I saw someone in the fire! I'm smart enough to not go off my myself without a good reason." Anger filled me.

Naru sighed with almost a look of a parent trying to explain a difficult concept to a child. "Mai, it could have been a lure made by a spirit."

I hadn't thought about that, but I wouldn't declare defeat. With my brow brought together, I turned away. Ayako looked down at me and kneeled down. Her voice sounded exasperated and full of relief at the fact that nothing terrible had happened. "What were you looking at? There's no one here."

"Right." I'd almost forgotten. I turned back to the bit of the wall below the windows. I pointed at the long scratches with a shaking finger. Ten in all.

It caught Bou-san and Naru's attention, and the two of them quickly walked up behind us. Ayako looked at them with a tilt of her head before loudly yelling out, "Are they…?"

Looking grim, Bou-san reached up with both his hands, and touched the top of the marks on the wall. They were just short of reaching over the windowsill. Then slowly, with everyone watching, he ran his hands down, perfectly tracing the jagged path.

Naru spoke as I thought the same horrible thing in my mind. "Nail marks."

* * *

Chrysanthemums are sometimes considered to be flowers used for honoring the dead. They're also great in tea.


	2. Chapter 2

** AN** A few changes and improvements 

Sorry for the delayed update! Something kept going wrong when I tried to upload the the chapter...Thank you for the reviews!!

Previously: 

Looking grim, Bou-san reached up with both his hands, and touched the top of the marks on the wall. They were just short of reaching over the windowsill. Then slowly with everyone watching, he ran his hands down, perfectly tracing down the jagged path.

Naru spoke as I thought the same horrible thing in my mind. "Nail marks."

File 10: Part 2 – Fiery Confinement

Day 2

"It's definitely a spirit rooted to the house. We just need to know whose spirit it is, and why it's possessing the women." Bou-san retraced the marks with his fingers and I felt as if I was the ones panicking to get out. I shivered. The soot had flaked off, but the scratch marks had dug and remained deeply etched into the wall.

We had called Masako and John to come, repeatedly apologizing for calling so late in the night. But seeing as it was important and work related, they hadn't minded a bit.

Masako raised her kimono sleeve up to her mouth in thought. "The spirits here do not reflect any feelings of revenge, but of longing." She raised her head towards the ceilings, as if looking around. "However, I can't conclude that the spirits are showing it's true emotions to me."

"Are you sure that the marks weren't here before?" John questioned.

I nodded with a serious face. "I'm positive. They appeared during the 'fire'."

Naru turned from the wall, catching our attention and having us watch for any of his input. However he only put a hand to his pocket and slightly turned his head towards the door. "Let's call it a night for today. Lin and I will watch the screens for a bit longer. Mai, Hara-san and Matsuzaki-san, lock your doors and make sure the cameras are on before sleeping."

He walked out of the room. He seemed slightly unnerved if not worried. It was an emotion somewhat unsettling to see on his face.

_"Naru…"_

…

I was able to sleep without any of my usual 'information gathering' dreams. _I feel_ _useless now…_I sighed as I made my way to the base. _Why didn't Ayako wake me up earlier? It's already 9:00._

As I entered the room, I ran into a startled Masako. Covering up her surprise with a shake of a disaproving head, she promptly turned back around and sat down at what looked like her original seat.

"I was just about to go and wake you." She replied to my curious face.

"Well I had to take a shower…Good morning, Ayako, John, Bou-san."

They smiled in reply. They were seated at the table Masako had sat down at. Turning around I saw Naru standing by Lin-san, checking the monitors.

"Good morning Lin-san. Naru, see anything else yesterday?"

"Nothing. We rechecked the cameras, but the fire didn't show up again."

"Like it never happened." Ayako added.

I could see that he was tired, though he was trying to hide it. I could now better understand his bit of grouchy demeanor. "Ne, did you get any sleep last night?" I softly asked.

"Lin, has the information of the mansion's residents come up yet?

"Hai. I'm printing them out right now."

I grumbled and turned away. So much for trying to be caring. _But I guess Naru isn't the one to admit weakness in front of people._

I soon heard the rustling of papers and when I looked, Naru had a pile of them in his hands. After a moment of reading, he sharply looked up. "Takigawa-san."

"Eh?" Bou-san erased his smile and eyed the papers in Naru's hands. Sighing he got up from his seat with Ayako and looked over Naru's shoulder. "The background information?"

He received a nod, and the monk took the papers in his hands and began to skim them. Naru looked up and crossed his arms confidently in front of his chest. He began reciting the information he'd already read and heard.

"As Sou-san had mentioned, the first residents 50 years ago had been the Kasai family. Kasai Haru had one daughter, Noriko. His wife had passed away earlier, though not in a fire. Kasai Noriko was in love with Houko Takai, the son of the Kasai family's closest friends. They were to be married after a year of close companionship. There are the remaining records of the agreement and such that Lin managed to find."

"And? Something tragic happened, right?" Bou-san separated a short pile from the packet and placed it on the table in with a flick of his writs. I moved a few coffee mugs aside for Bou-san and saw pictures of smoke and chaos on the sheets he'd placed down.

"Yes. A fire right before their wedding that ended up with the couple disappearing. We saw the room it occurred in when we got here. After that, the incidents of fires appearing from an unknown source and the deaths of the three women occurred."

John and Masako looked up simultaneously. "The women?" The priest asked.

_Oh right, he had just gotten here yesterday._

Naru shifted his eyes towards the exorcist with a knowing look. "They were from different families with no connections what so ever to this house or to each other. All three died in a fire that mysteriously went out after."

Takigawa was reading the second page from the pile when he said with a satisfied nod, "So Noriko and Takai were the ones who'd been the first ones to pass away here? It says that they had been engaged."

My heart ached for them.

Masako leaned in from my right side and I turned to her as she spoke out. "There was another person who had disappeared with Noriko and Takai, was there not?"

If Naru had been surprised as to how she had known, he kept it well hidden. "Yes. Takai's older brother committed suicide a month after the fire."

"Suicide?" I yelled out. "A connection?"

Ayako raised a finger, giving her thoughts a try. "Maybe his brother loved Noriko as well, and killed her and Takai in the fire. Then killed himself."

Bou-san rubbed the back of his head with a hand and looked at the miko. "Bit dramatic, don't you think?"

"It's not like it's never happened. And besides, it's just an idea."

Naru smoothly cut in before their arguments could get louder. "The facts aren't sure. No one knows if anyone died in the fire at all, just that their bodies weren't found."

I heard the swivel of a chair. Looking behind Naru, I saw that Lin-san had decided to join our discussion. His voice was low and serious as usual. "It could be that the spirit is taking the possession of another to try and relive the situation in which they died."

I replayed his words in my mind, much slower than he had said them.

"What are you saying?" Bou-san asked. I saw that his eyes were narrowed, as if he didn't like what he was hearing. Then I was hit with a realization, but it was John who voiced it first.

"It can't be that the spirits want to curse anyone or kill. The deaths were too random."

Lin didn't nod, but I could tell that we were on the right track. "What if the spirit wanted to survive the fire?"

"Survive?" Naru echoed in thought. We were quiet for a moment, waiting for Lin-san to clear his hypothesis up.

But he only nodded to Naru. John's eyes lit up as if he'd remembered something and said, "If a person dies in a consequence with strong, intense emotions, something of that person is left behind."

"And this spirit is clearly reenacting the fire, and women are continuously getting possessed and killed. It's bound to happen again." Bou-san stated.

"But why?" Naru questioned intently. "Why continue doing this?"

I was puzzled too. So far all of the ghosts or spirits had been bent on revenge, anger and hate. Some sort of pent up uncomfortable emotion, and now it didn't seem to be normal.

Then I remember Kenji-kun and his father.

"Well I guess that could be…"

Ayako, however, didn't seem to be surprised at Lin's thoughts. "And? What would the spirit be accomplishing by 're-experiencing' their death? Its not like they can be exorcised by those methods, whatever they're doing. The spirit must know that too."

It was silent for a moment, and we realized that we didn't know. I eyed the pictures of the fire again and thought. After all, everything up till now had been speculation. I heard Bou-san sigh and I looked over, meeting his eyes. He gave me a tired smile. "Get sleepin' Mai."

"Bou-san I just woke up…"

…

Looking out the far window, I could see a pond in the midst of the flowers and I felt compelled to go out. _What a beautiful day…Man, I should be out with Michiru and Keiko. _I brought my eyes back into the base, and thought that fresh air would do everyone some good.

"Ne, Naru." He didn't reply, but I knew he was listening. "How about we go out to the gardens for some air? Thinking outside might help –"

"If you want to waste time outside, you can go."

"…" I scrunched up my face and removed my hands from my hips. "Fine. Bou-san, Ayako, John, Masako, want to join me?"

The first to get up, quite eagerly out of her seat, was Ayako. "Okay."

Bou-san smiled, though side-glanced at Naru a few times, and John followed suit. Masako seemed to hesitate seeing that Naru had no intention of coming, but walked out with us after emitting a deep sigh.

Lin as I had predicted, stayed at the base with Naru.

…

"It sure is beautiful."

"Yeah."

Bou-san took a deep breath and glanced far into the fields. Beside the stone bench where I was sitting was a small pond and old oak tree. It was hard to remind myself that we were on a case here.

"Look." Masako was looking towards the lake and I saw a number of geese floating serenely upon the still water. I wished that I had breadcrumbs with me.

Ayako walked up next to Masako. "Eh…they haven't left to migrate yet."

"I guess they're waiting for the right moment." John was sitting next to me, happily looking towards the flowers. "It's amazing isn't it? Birds have natural instincts that they're born with, that take them away, and bring them back."

I grinned. "It is." I sniffed lightly as a cool breeze passed by. I drew my coat tighter, but the prickling of the icy wind bite my bare skin.

"Anyway, Naru-chan wouldn't be happy if we came back without clues or thoughts about the case." Bou-san mentioned.

_Sad_, I thought, _he's turning into a work-a-holic as well._

Then I pouted with realization. "He's never happy."

…

So we decided to split up. Bou-san and I went towards the graves – it had been Ayako that had refused to go– and she and John to the farther parts of the fields. Masako wanted to remain at the lake and oak tree to stay in one position and concentrate. As I was walking away, I couldn't help but think that she was slacking off. "Hmph like it even matters."

"What?"

With a sigh, I shook my head with slow swings. "Nuh-thing."

I saw Bou-san stop in his tracks. "Well, here we are."

A short line of graves was at the side of a low hill. It was a bare looking hill, and not one of the colorful flowers had made it out this far to reach the tombs. "Bou-san," I mentioned with some sadness. "There aren't any Chrysanthemums here."

"I wonder why."

We walked up to the base of the graves, offering some respectful prayers. It was silent and peaceful, and couldn't feel anything out of the ordinary from the graves.

"Ne, Bou-san?"

"Hm?"

"Who do you think they are?" Seeing that there were three headstones, I guessed that it was possible for it to be Noriko, Takai and Jiro-san.

"I wonder…but they aren't graves."

I turned to him with surprise. "What do you mean?"

"Well, they're like small monuments for whoever passed away. Probably their parents or relatives built it as a reminder for them and future generations."

"Is that so?" Now that he had mentioned it, I could see that the stones were too close together to have been proper graves. "Well I don't think we'll find anything else here."

Bou-san smiled at me and nodded. "Hmm…let's go back then."

I happily obliged.

Later we turned back to the base to see that Ayako, John, and Masako had seen nothing out of the ordinary. But Masako claimed to have felt a sort of 'pulling down' when she had been at the lake, as if trying to get her attention on something. We informed Naru, who said he would keep that in mind.

Then after dinner, we retired for bed.

…

"Ne, Masako, I'll be using the shower after Ayako comes out, 'kay?"

She said nothing, just remained passive and sitting at the edge of her bed. I sat up from the bed and tried catching her eye. "Masako?"

"Please be quiet. I'm trying to think."

My lips turned up with annoyance. "Sorry for being loud."

I didn't receive any cocky reply and I looked more closely at her. "You're _really_ thinking?"

I saw her twitch.

"Mai, it wouldn't hurt for you to try it out sometime."

There's what I'd been waiting for. "What –"

"Will you two stop?" Ayako cut in. Her hair was dry and she had no makeup on her face. Her voice was laced with a bit of a pleading wine."Go to sleep." She reached her bed, now in her yellow pajamas and pulled back the covers.

A mischievous grin curled up on my face. "It's not any different with you and Bou-san- "

"Ehh? W-what are you talking about?"

I giggled at her reaction.

Masako got up from her spot on the bed without warning and began walking away with a small bag in hand. Worried, I stopped joking around and stood up. "Don't wander away, remember what happened last time?"

Masako stopped in her tracks and looked back at me, her eyes looked cold and I felt my own widen. "Eh?" _Maybe I just walked into a landmine._

"I'll be washing up first." She smiled a sweet smile that made me feel uneasy. Before I could protest, Masako had already walked into the bathroom and briskly shut the door.

"Man…"

_Never mind, I'll just take a shower in the morning. _

Turning on the nigh-vision camera, I flicked off the lights and fell deep asleep.

…

It was warm. Springtime warm with a constant, beautiful brightness. But I suddenly remembered that it was winter. The middle of November. My eyes shot open.

"Eh? Where am I?"

Observing my surroundings, I didn't recognize the room I was in. Fading sunlight seeped in through a nearby window, and in the beam of light I saw a young woman sitting. She rocked back and forth, all the while watching the door as if awaiting someone. There was no doubt a sort of loneness in the room. It disappeared a few minutes later when a man entered.

_Who is he? Sou-san? _

Squinting my eyes, I saw that he was much younger. Suddenly, as if it were my dreaming instincts, I knew I was in the room where the fire accident had happened. The couple embracing each other was Noriko and Takai.

Their movements were blurred and choppy, as if I was watching through a camera with limited screens. Like a memory old with time.

"Watch closely." A low voice whispered. It came out from behind, very close.

"Naru." I was startled by his sudden appearance, but quickly recovered. "What should I watch for?"

But he only shook his head and slowly raised a finger at a dark swirling mist. It evolved into the shape of a man, and took a human form. I sensed immediate danger from him and braced myself for whatever might happen. It looked like he'd come in accidentally, but upon seeing the couple, his breathing quickened. _No, he'd been looking for them._

He'd entered, unbeknownst to Takai and Noriko, whose backs were turned against him. In both the man's hands were glints of light: in his left he held a lit lantern, and the right a sharpened dagger catching the reflections of the flames.

"No…" I whispered. "It's dangerous!"

Naru held be back with a silent shake. I began to tremble. Their movements were still blurry and the scenes were becoming difficult to interpret with their increased speed in movement, but this is what I think I saw:

Takai had finally sensed the man behind them, and with a sudden tension through his body had pushed Noriko behind him. She took a step back, her eyes wide with anger and fear. The man had set down the lantern and tightly clutched the knife in both hands, although not pointing it at anyone.

That was when I saw that he was talking. I couldn't hear, or make out the words on his lips, for he appeared to be mumbling. Noriko's suddenly shouted something and pointed towards the door. She looked towards the place where I was standing, next to the fireplace. Takai walked forward, but stopped dead in his tracks when the man slashed the knife in front of him. He pointed to the fireplace and smiled evilly. Noriko shook her head and screamed.

Was he threatening her? Telling her a horrible truth?

Then the struggle began.

Her loud yell had temporarily startled the man, a moment that Takai had decided to take advantage of. He jumped forward, managed to grab the man's wrist, and smack the knife away. Noriko tried to get around, constantly seeming to call for help, but the man had knocked the lantern over and encouraged the growing flames by kicking over a chair. She quickly backed away to the windows.

Takai was pushed down. I was surprised and frightened at the other man's strength and ferocity. He seemed to be driven mad. He followed Noriko, but ducked just in time as Takai smashed down the flaming chair. It landed with a loud thud where Takai's head had been moment's before.

"Oh my god…" I whispered.

Then, suddenly, I saw flames surrounding me. My fingers curled over the carpeted floor and I couldn't move my legs. The man had run out after giving his brother one last look. The door caved in as Jiro rushed out.

"Takai-kun." I whispered. Crawling with the support of the wall next to me, I saw Naru's face instead. "N-Naru!"

"Mai." I was alarmed at the weakness of his voice.

He was bleeding. Badly. All down his shirt was red blood flowing, and at the center of his chest was a stab wound. A glint caught my eye and looking down, I saw the bloodied dagger he had pulled out.

"Mai, listen to me." His breath was labored, and he smiled lightly at my concern. I felt my own chest tighten. "It's all right, the wound's not deep…Mai…climb out the window and get out. It's not as high up here, although you may sprain an ankle. You …have to get out."

"No!" tears were falling out. How could he even suggest me leaving him behind? "Come on Naru, please."

Somehow, I was able to half-drag and crawl Naru to the base of the window with me. "Naru…" I was roughly pushed and, startled, landed against a wall. I coughed. Thick smoke was sinking into my mouth and nose, which caused me to tear up wildly. Hot…the heat was getting intense.

"Mai! There's not much time. We have to get out."

I could barely hear him, but I felt strong hands push me up. No use, my strength was gone. The flames were starting to reach me, delighted at a new source of fuel. Smoke clouded my visions and I thankfully fell unconscious before the flames could consume me. I tried to yell, but either my voice was lost within the roaring flames or it never came out.

_Help us..._

"Mai!"


	3. Chapter 3

Previously: 

"Mai! There's not much time. We have to get out."

I could barely hear him, but I felt strong hands push me up. No use, my strength was gone. The flames were starting to reach me, delighted at a new source of fuel. Smoke clouded my visions and I thankfully fell unconscious before the flames could consume me.

"Mai!"

File 10: Part 3 – Fiery Confinement

"Mai? Mai!"

I couldn't open my eyes, it was more like I didn't want to, but I could see bright lights from the ceiling through my tightly closed eyelids. My fingers were tied together. At my sides. Slowly I turned my head to the side and felt the cool fabric of a pillow.

"It looks like she's beginning to gain consciousness."

It sounded like the voice of a familiar woman, but it didn't belong to Ayako.

"No doubt that she was possessed in her dreams. I can sense a great feeling of anxiety and trapped agony in this house. Especially within the room of the accident. It's growing."

Yep it was Masako. Wincing, I tried to sit up but was prevented by a pair of soft, strong hands.

"Ouch…"

"Stay still."

_"Bou-san?"_ _Eh? Why can't I talk?_

"Oy, your eyes were pretty messed up from the smoke. It'll sting if you try to open them now."

I coughed and could feel the dryness of my throat. I cracked open my eyes and although blurry at first, my sight began to sharpen. He was right, they did begin to sting. Badly. A cup was pressed to my lips and I graciously drank the cool water. The dryness lessened, but a thick sort of blanketing remained. I rolled my tongue against the top of my mouth, but it ached my throat even more.

Something sat down at the side of the bed. Just like in my dreams, I heard him before I could see his face. "Get some rest Mai. You'll be fine with some sleep."

I could barely make him out, but there was Bou-san standing at the base of the bed. I heard lots of bottles of pills and metal hitting each other with unbearable loudness. "She'll have to take this, and those, and that…"

"Stop it Bou-san, that's scary!" I managed to croak out. I wanted to laugh, but wasn't able to. The tension lessened and they knew I'd be okay.

I fell back onto the pillows and the throbbing at my eyes disappeared. I remained asleep for the next 12 hours.

Day 3 – 5:38 PM

The next day I woke up slightly groggy but filled with fresh determination. I'd wasted enough time and knew Naru would be impatient to get some useful information. Ayako had called everyone in and seeing Naru's face, I couldn't help but remember him fallen on the ground, bleeding and smiling weakly. I quickly turned away from him. The way he stopped in his tracks told me that he had noticed.

Bou-san was asking me how I was and I reassured his worried look. "I'm fine. Really."

"I'm so glad you weren't burnt." Ayako added, rubbing my shoulders.

After a light pause, Naru spoke. "Mai, how did the fire start?"

"Naru! She just got up!"

"I said I'm fine Bou-san."

I couldn't help but smile. Typical Naru thinking about work. Well if I wasn't hurt what would be the point of staying worried? Though, I slightly wished that Naru _would_ worry more. I closed my still tired eyes and thought back.

_The man had kicked the lantern over, encouraging the growing flames._

"A lantern." It was quiet enough for me to think and continue."A man had kicked over a lantern. I think that had been his intention all along, because there'd been a light on in the room." I reopened my eyes and looked around to see curious faces. "It was just like the dream Kana-san had said she'd seen, only I experienced a bit more of it."

Lin-san's voice suddenly caught my attention. "What man?"

I was surprised. I hadn't expected him coming over as well. "Shouldn't the base…"

"It's fine. What man?" he asked again.

_That's right, it'd been a dream._

"Start from the beginning." Bou-san encouraged.

So I did. I told my story, but not every detail. I allowed myself to keep the part of Naru out, but did mention that I had seen the last few scenes through Noriko-san's eyes. Then I was confused.

"Ah, how did I end up like this? What happened? I was sleeping in the bed next to Ayako…"

Bou-san crossed his arms and sat down at the edge of Ayako's bed. "Maybe sleep walking? You were possessed at the time, so as you were having the dream, you could have been lead to the room. Then the fire occurred."

"You could have gotten seriously hurt." Ayako said. She sounded so motherly, I felt comforted.

"Thank goodness you guys always come at the nick of time."

Naru took a step closer and softened his features the slightest bit. "We'll have to be even more careful from now on."

They all nodded in union. I remembered Madoko's sweet smile. _Naru cares for all his friends…though he__'__s lousy at showing it._

"It's all right." I smiled weakly. I lied back down. "Uhh…why does this always happen to me?"

Bou-san was tapping his knee with thought. I heard him let out a soft breath. "Well, now at least we're getting somewhere."

"Mai." The narcissist.

"Hai?"

"Exactly when did you fall unconscious during your dream?"

"Just as the flames were starting to reach me."

"So you saw neither Takai-san or yourself actually burn."

"No, but I'm sure Takai-kun and I died in the fire."

I felt a sharp tap on my forehead and saw a glint of red nails. "Stop that, using 'I'."

"Sorry."

Naru pressed on. "But the flames hadn't actually started burning you yet."

I sighed with irritation. "Well I guess not. No."

"Naru-chan, is that bit of information important?"

"Possibly." He lowered his arms to his sides and began walking towards the door. I called out after him.

"Naru, where are you going? Hey you can't just leave like that!"

Just as he had turned the knob, Naru looked at me with a silencing stare. "We can talk more tomorrow. Get some more rest. Lin."

"Hai."

With his assistant close behind, Naru saw themselves both out of the room and loudly shut the door.

…

I was able to return to the base the next morning, completely rested. Also right on time to be with everyone when a letter was found near Lin's desk.

Naru picked it up, and read it before drawing his brows together with what looked like annoyance or anger. Probably both.

"He left."

Bou-san took the letter with a swipe. "Hm? Who?"

"Sou-san."

It took as all a moment before it was our turn to be surprised. "Sou-san left?"

Ayako crossed her arms. "Got scared did he?"

"What does it say, exactly?" Masako asked calmly, seeming indifferent to the news.

Bou-san cleared his throat expertly and loudly, as if announcing the winner of a competition. Seeing that he was joking around, it wasn't any serious reason.

"_To the members of Shibuya Physic Research, _

_Kana has begged me to comfort her at her aunt's home. I'm sorry to leave so abruptly and at such a crucial time. I will not be returning, for I am planning to sell the house for good. It's what I'd been planning from the beginning and that's why I wanted this situation fixed up. I apologize if it seems like I've tricked you. _

_You may leave with your work unfinished if you wish._

_However if you plan to stay, there are a few things that you should know:_

_First, re-examine the fireplace. Kana told me that she'd felt it to be of great importance in her dreams. Pay close attention. _

_And second, the area around the tree and pond have a sort of strange air. Nothing has happened there, but I will advise you to check the grounds. _

_Yours Respectfully, _

_Sou Tamaki"_

The disbelief against Sou-san soon disappeared from all of us. I cocked my head and looked at John-san beside me. "Were those warnings?"

"Possibly advice." The priest answered back.

Naru nodded. "Right." He looked towards us with authority. "I'm not one to quit in the middle of a case. If any of you want to, you may leave."

I knew he'd say that, and everyone else had readily received the suggestion. Of course not! The answer appeared in a large bubble above our heads. _Like we would abandon a case. _

Ayako brushed a long strand of hair over her shoulder. It had a graceful affect. "Naru, you're not the only one with pride here."

I could swear that he had lifted a corner of his lips, but the impression disappeared as soon as it had come. Naru handed me a notepad and pencil after re-snatching and pocketing Sou-san's note.

"Then let's first see the fireplace. It'd be best to stick together as a large group instead of splitting up this time."

…

Naru walked with a slow pace towards the fireplace. He didn't lean over or bother to get too close, but he seemed to be examining it up and down.

Everyone else started doing likewise. Well, I passed the notebook to a resisting Masako and plugged in a new, unburned camera so that it was facing the fireplace. I gave the screen a thumb's up, in case that Lin-san was watching.

"Mai."

"H-hai?" I readied myself for a command to stop goofing off, but got none.

He kept his back towards me, so I got closer to let myself into his view. "What is it?"

"Was this fireplace in your dream?"

"Umm…" I suddenly remembered with a terrifying jolt. Also, I remembered the urge to turn the camera towards it the other night.

_Kana looked towards the place where I was standing, next to the fireplace…_ _He pointed to the fireplace and smiled evilly. Noriko shook her head and screamed._

"Yeah! It was there. I was standing next to it, I remember. It was so clean the first time I'd seen it, I thought that it had been added after –" I stopped myself. I wasn't thinking straight, why would you need a fireplace added into a burnt-up, unused room? Sou-san had said that no new construction had been done.

I expected him to answer my curiosity, but was silent. "Naru?"

"I see."

Slowly, as we watched, Naru reached forward and curled his fingers around one of the two metal poles wrought down at the protruding corners of the stone base. I waited with a held breath. Naru sharply pulled down. It produced the most terrible, screeching sound of resistance as metal ground against stone.

"Oy!" Bou-san shouted in surprise. We'd all covered our ears and slightly backed away.

Ayako sighed when it stopped, waving from her face a small cloud of swirling dust. "What was that?"

The rod had bent over, unbroken, parallel to the floor. The dust had settled, but nothing had moved or revealed itself. I was disappointed.

"Ah, I thought the fireplace would flip around or something."

Masako shook her head. "I've only seen that in movies."

Naru turned to look at me and I got nervous from his deadpan look. "What?"

"Mai, you think with too shallow a mind."

I pouted. "Well sorry for being shallow."

He turned away again with no response as John got down to his knees. He glanced over the stone base with a critical eye. Then without hesitation, John reached for the stones surrounding the rod and ran his fingers along the cracks. "Found it."

With all of us watching with interest, John pulled out the rod with careful maneuvering. Up with it, attached at a side, came one of the smaller stones. Bou-san kneeled beside John to look at the bared space, but found nothing. "Was it the wrong one?"

"No." John turned the oval stone over, and from the hollow of it fell out a yellow curled up note. I smiled, genuinely impressed.

"That's amazing John-san!"

Ayako nodded. "You sure have a sharp eye for finding clues."

With a flattered smile, the young exorcist rubbed the back of his head. "It was nothing. After all, Shibuya-san found and pulled the lever."

Cutting into our excitement of the discovery, Naru pointed out a thoughtful advice. "We should head back to the base."

…

Delicately, John placed the paper on the table where everyone except Lin had gathered. Bou-san picked it up and opened it without hesitation.

"Ah be careful." I warned.

"Don't worry, it's not as old as it looks."

John nodded with a smile. "It's quite thick to the touch and was purposely made with a tinted color to give off an aged impression."

The note uncurled and flattened out was only 4 by 3 inches. The edges were clean-cut, not what I had been expecting. From where I was standing, I could see that the handwriting was smooth and very neat.

As Bou-san continued to read, his eyes widened.

"What?"

Ayako's face became exited and she leaned forward to try and read the note upside down. "Eh, what's it say?"

Bou-san looked up at us. He waved the little piece of paper until finally I snatched it away from him. Naru carefully took it from my hands.

Bou-san grinned. "Looks like we've found a letter committing to a tryst."

* * *

Thanks so much for the reviews!

tryst - an arrangement to meet, especially one made privately or secretly by lovers


	4. Chapter 4

Whenever a fire occurs in the room, a possessed woman gets trapped there. But they have nothing in common and don't know each other. What do the spirits want? Eh, me too?! Usual hinted Mai&Naru

It's my first GH fanfic, but I hope that you'll enjoy it anyway. Thanks for giving it a shot!

Sorry for the long wait. Here's Chpt 4

* * *

Previously: 

As Bou-san continued to read, his eyes widened.

"Nani?"

Ayako's face became exited and she smiled. "Eh, what's it say?"

Bou-san looked up at us. "Looks like we've found a letter committing to a tryst."

File 10: Part 4 – Fiery Confinement

Day 4

_Return this note to the stone with haste. Do so, and meet in the room at morning's first light. I love you, and will say 'I do' with all my heart. However – be careful. Your brother will not have our marriage to occur. Return the others back to the grounds.  
Yours, Kasai Noriko_

There was a moment of silence, even after the note had been read. It seemed that couple had been using obscure words in their exchanges.

Ayako sighed. "I feel like we're solving a mystery rather than hunting ghosts."

"Well it's always been like that, hasn't it?" Bou-san shrugged. "I'm starting to get real good at crossword puzzles, and hide and seek, and s – "

"The stone would be referring to the compartment in the fireplace." Naru's logical thoughts cut off Bou-san's silly talk.

"Ah-yeah." The monk quickly stopped his jokes and turned to the waiting Naru. "That's where this note was found. But then the last line is what I don't get."

" 'Return the others back to the grounds.' " I echoed. I tried thinking of it literally. "Ah! She doesn't mean to kill anyone, does she?" It seemed possible. But then kill whom?

We eyed one another, until John spoke up. "What if it has to do with Sou-san's note?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

John hesitated before coming to a conclusion. He explained, "He said to check the fireplace, and we found that," he pointed to the note, "there. Then Kasai-san says to 'return the others to the grounds.' What if they're other notes?"

A bit of quiet thinking followed. Other notes? I found the idea a bit…off for some reason. Apparently, so did Ayako. "Instead of hiding the note and risking being found out, why  
not burn or discard them?"

"But following on what John said, most likely 'the grounds' would be the area around the lake and old oak." Bou-san finished with a nod. He eyed Ayako and me, nodding his head to note our thoughts.

It would be worth a shot to search, I thought. "Ne Naru, what do you think?"

He lightly raised an eyebrow with a sign of a smirk. "We'll find out soon enough."

…

"Hara-san?"

Masako shook her head. "I don't feel the presence of any spirits here."

I couldn't feel anything either, but maybe it was because I wasn't a medium.

"Well, we should look around any way."

We all agreed with John and began our search. After a moment, the boss spoke up. "I'll take a walk around the lake edge and cover those flowers." Naru said. Yep. He gets the easy job again. Well, I guess he deserved the high position.

"Naru, I'll come with you." Within a second after Naru's announcement, Masako had latched herself onto the young man's arm and with a sweet smile had started their walk.

"Eh!?" I exclaimed without thinking. I laughed to calm my nerves. "Masako, it'd been much better if you helped us with the flower patch here."

Talking tighter hold of Naru's arm, she shook her head. "I may be able to feel the presence of a spirit if I move around. Let's go, Naru."

He didn't resist.

I watched as the two walked away, a happy, sly smile on Masako's lips. Looked like a date-walk to me. Well, Naru looked annoyed at Masako's company. At least, I wanted him to be. Bou-san laughed, seeing the faces I was probably making that were matching my thoughts.

"Mai. If you're not as fast as Masako, you'll never win."

Sighing I kicked a small people into the water. "Oh you make me feel so much better."

Time went on as we pushed stems and leaves aside. Ayako continued to complain (More manual labor!) and after an hour, I couldn't help but think that we had searched everywhere, up and down. Even Naru and Masako had started helping out.

Naru walked up to the old oak and placed a calming hand on it, as if secretly asking help. Then he looked past the blooming flowers and to the graves far away. I saw his dark eyes dart up the road to where the flowers abruptly were cut off and to the bottoms of our feet where they were in full bloom.

"It's strange that tree is at the center of the Chrysanthemums, isn't it?" he whispered. Whether the question was directed at us or not, I wasn't sure. But we thought about it anyway.

While pounding one side of her shoulder, Ayako sat down at the stone bench with a tired sigh. "Like I said when we first got here, Chrysanthemums are flowers often used for the dead."

Naru put a hand to his lips. He pondered for a moment. "And they just bloomed here like this?"

Not finding anything, we headed back to the base.

…

"Eh?" Where…

I was sitting in a white chair by a window. Rocking softly, back and forth. I stopped the movement abruptly. Oh no, I'm in the dream again. I gasped as flames suddenly rose from beneath my feet.

"Mai…"

Where's that coming from? I was on the floor, crawling. It sounds so familiar, yet…

"Mai."

My eyes widened with horror.

It was Naru, the same scene as before. The wound in his chest continued to bleed and he smiled weakly again. Seeing him like that again…

"Naru! We have to get out!" He shook his head. I didn't understand. I tried again, yelling above the flames. "The roof might collapse any minute, we have to get out!"

Had my words reached his ears at all? His features remained as blank as if he were sleeping with his eyes open. His mouth was slightly parted with short intakes of breaths. Then slowly, finally with fading away strength, he nodded, pointing to the window. Somehow, I managed to reach the sill with his limp form. I placed both hands on the walls beside me, but I couldn't pull us upward. So close that I could brush the edge of the window and feel the flowing air.

"Go without me." He whispered.

For the second time, I didn't understand. This had happened before, and flames had consumed both of us. If it's going to end like that…

"Naru! Whose spirit is doing this? Why does this keep happening? I'll die, we both do, we're trapped!" Didn't he understand? Was it some sad cycle that would repeat on forever? I could see his life ebbing away, but also in his dark orbs I saw determination.

All he did was turn from me. Turn his eyes towards the ceiling. "I see." I hardly heard him.

Then the burning stopped. I felt cold, cold air surrounding me as I saw the fire from outside the window. I was drawn to the warmth that had suddenly disappeared. A dark figure dropped from the window and remained unmoving on the ground. It raised its head, with tears falling from a face full of disgust and anguish.

Rushing forward to help, I called out to the person. "Are you all –"

My voice disappeared from my throat when I saw his face. My feet swayed but wouldn't move forward. Looking at me was Takai-kun, not Noriko-san, bitterly crying.

…

I woke up with a start.

I glanced around, half-expecting to be surrounded by concerned faces. All I was met with were the gentle snores of Ayako, and the darkness of the night. There was only cold sweat on my forehead from the nightmare-like dream. I fell back onto my pillow with a sigh of relief.  
I'm still in the room, just a dream.

But now I knew new information. It would be important for the investigation. Turning my sight to the nightstand beside me, I groped in the dark. Finding the button farthest to the right, I pressed it, sending out a flash of eerie green. 5:29 AM.

Probably another hour before even Naru would be awake. I tossed and turned for the rest of the night and kept my eyes shut, convincing myself to sleep. I slipped in and out of darkness, and couldn't be rid of the stuffy smell of smoke. I slipped out of bed at 6:07.

Kitchen 6:47

"Oh, Mai-chan. What are you doing up so early?"

"Bou-san. Ohayou." Shrugging, I sighed. "Oh, just couldn't sleep. I've been up for a while now."  
I felt his gaze on me. Probably from worry, because I knew that the voice I'd used had been too high, too light and dandy.

I turned from the kitchen counter and saw the monk, still rubbing sleep from his eyes and quickly turning away. Ignoring this bit of action, I sipped my cup of tea and then raised it like an offering. "Would you like some? I'm bringing a pot back to the base for Naru and Lin-san."

He nodded as he reached for the refrigerator door. I added an extra cup to the tray, and then three more just in case everyone else would be up before the tea cooled down. I smiled.

"It's nice that we can eat whatever for breakfast, ne?"

"I'll say. Want some toast?"

"No thanks, I've eaten."

It was silent for a while after that. Only the deep humming of the fridge and clinking of plates were heard. A sudden flash of Takai-san's face ran across my mind and I tapped my fingers upon the counter marble, contemplating a decision. With my back towards him I spoke out.

"Ne, Bou-san?"

"What is it?"

I could hear him scrapping whatever –jam or butter – onto his crisp toast. I could smell the slightly burnt edges and leaned into the scent of the green tea. "Um…I had another dream last night. The same one, actually."

The scrapping stopped. I picked up my tray. Turning around, I smiled as realistically as I could manage.

"Let's go back to the base. I haven't told Naru yet."

…

With everyone awake by 8:00 gathered at the base, I shared the new information.

"Ehh? It was Takai-san who survived the fire?"

I watched Bou-san's face show an array of emotions. I frowned. "Well…in that situation like that–"  
"No wonder he'd feel guilty." Ayako cut in. Her faced showed not the least bit of sympathy. "But then why would he put himself in that tragedy again?"

I felt anger grow within me and unconsciously, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. "It's not like he wanted to! Stuck in a situation like that, Noriko-san was the one who had already passed away in the fire!"

Everyone looked surprised at me and I felt myself slightly calm down, but still remained defensive. Naru's look was indifferent, but his hands fell to his sides.

"Oy, why are you getting so defensive?" Bou-san asked.

I held back the tears that were threatening to come out. I slightly tilted my head to one side. My voice came out softly. "You didn't see his face after he made it out. The regret, sorrow and self-hate he felt."

It was silent. I sighed and shook my head. "Well, that's what happened."

Naru sighed, causing me to look back up at him. When his dark eyes met mine, he made a comforting face, although it was the just the slightest expression. "Of course he wouldn't have left her purposely like that."

"But, this is important information isn't it? Noriko-san had been the one killed in the fire." Bou-san said with thought.

"It seems like Lin-san's theory is making more sense." Ayako added on. "Takai-kun felt regret, and so…he's reliving the past?"

Bou-san muttered with a snort. "That came out wrong."

Naru shook his head. There was a question that was nagging him, still. "But why make the possessed women go through what Noriko-san had went through? He knew she would die. The three others passed away as well."

_All he did was turn from me. Turn his eyes towards the ceiling. "I see."_

"No…" Naru turned to my voice. "He didn't know. He thought that if he kept bringing Noriko's soul back and re-experience the fire, then they'd both finally be at peace. Takai-kun didn't know that she was dead."

My boss deepened the frown upon his brow. "And did Takai-san mention this during your dream?"

"No it's just…Let's just say that it's my intuition at work. I saw small reactions of understanding from everyone in the room.

"I see."

Saying so would be enough. This time, I knew that my feelings would be more accurate than ever. I added on. "It's because he wants to save her, at least once."

"So in that way he can clear his conscience?" The priest asked. He looked towards me for reference.

"Didn't Mai-san say that he was regretful?"

"Mm."

"So in a way, Noriko-san is also cursed." Masako sadly mentioned.

Just like that I felt immense pity for the couple. I wanted to help them as quickly as possible…but how? As if Naru had heard my inner question, he spoke.

"Well then, we should give Takai-kun what he wants."

"?"  
Our blank faces stared at Naru. Bou-san stood up from his seat. "Give him…you don't mean…?"

Naru nodded in all seriousness. Then facing me, he said loudly. "We'll re-experience the fire. And this time, Noriko-san will live."

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

File 10: Part 5 – Fiery Confinement

I opened my tired eyes. Glancing at the slowly ticking clock beside the bed, I could see that I'd let myself oversleep. _It's all fine I guess…_ I sighed to myself, lost in thought. The discussion from the other day all began to flow back to my mind and suddenly I wished that it had never occurred.

Nothing final would decided until today. And then after the sun went down… My grip upon the sheets tightened. I hauled myself into a sitting position with a hardened, determined face. _Whatever happens today…I'll trust Naru. We'll save Noriko-san._

…

But the morning was a difficult one. As I entered the base, I was cut off from apologizing for my late appearance by a thick wave of tension.

Bou-san was standing, a scowl on his face, throwing a look of disagreement and disapproval at my boss. Naru was staring straight back at the monk, but with eyes that weren't the ones that he normally had. Obviously, they were having an argument and I just about knew what it was about. Warm sunlight spilled in through the windows, but it did nothing to lift the mood.

"Mai." Ayako stood from her seat, calling out to me. Her tone was intended to stop Naru and Bou-san.

They turned to me after realizing that I had entered into the room. I saw Bou-san's face calm down considerably. "You're up?"

"Mm." I replied carefully.

Everyone struggled with the silence that clouded the room. Looking up, I could see that John and Masako were no where to be seen.

Naru broke the silence. "Mai, have you decided?"

I closed my eyes momentarily and nodded. "Hai."

"Don't be so reckless!"

I flinched at the sudden yell and looked towards its source. Bou-san was looking at me like I was crazy to even consider the idea. "It's no good, Mai. Something could go wrong! Just burn down the house like we did to Urado's mansion –"

"That's not possible." Naru cut in. He crossed his arms across his chest. "The client wishes us not to damage the house, only rid of the spirit."

Bou-san seemed to be in a caught situation. He looked towards me once more and pleaded. "Mai, just let this one go."

My fists tightened beside me. "I can't do that."

The monk looked at me with frustration. "Fine." Bou-san said as he ran his fingers on his face. He didn't look the least bit fine to me.

"I'm sorry."

As I left the room, out of the corner of my eye I saw Bou-san drop his arms to his sides and make way towards Naru. I slowed my steps, and nearly stopped when my body was halfway out of the door. I saw Bou-san glance at me, and before I could completely step out, he looked straight into Naru's face and threatened:

"I swear if your confidence ever hurts that girl –"

I left before I could hear.

…

When I decided that a long enough time had passed to return to the base, I found only Ayako, Naru and Lin seated, and it looked as if they'd been waiting for me.

"Mai."

I sat down sadly next to Ayako. _Had Bou-san left?_

"He's just in a bad mood." Ayako whispered as if she'd read my thought. "He's staying with us."

I was relieved to hear so. He must have been out to cool off or help set up whatever preparations Naru had begun. We still didn't have any definite plan yet.

Naru set down a pile of papers and caught my eye with a dead-serious look. He spoke with an equally matching dull tone. "There'll be no reason to call forth the spirit, he'll appear again if you enter the room.

"Wait a second," Ayako said with worry. "You can't be suggesting that Mai be –"

"No, it'd be too much of a risk." Naru answered. He looked at me again. "But if she fell asleep within the room and Matsuzaki-san you had protective charms on her, then perhaps she could achieve what Takai-san wants."

"Which is to save Noriko-san." I finished. But I still didn't understand one aspect. "Naru, when you said that we'd re-experience the fire…"

"I meant that we'd relieve the spirit in the fire – when he would show himself to Mai. It'll work." Naru repeated in a way that brooked no arguments. "Tonight we'll do it."

…

Tea was not a method of calming us down, and the afternoon seemed to pass by slower than ever. I was constantly brewing up terribly scenarios in my mind and would shake them out as soon as they'd come, ashamed of my lack of trust towards everyone.

"Daijoubu, Mai-san." John said reassuringly. He'd returned with Masako after purifying the burnt room as much as possible. His smile was kind, and even Masako turned to me with a look in her eye that was kinder than usual. Well, I was relieved to have such friends.

But what would happen would be happening later in the evening. Naru was still overlooking some things that had come into question – quite a few things actually.

_'Return the rest back to the grounds'…The flowers surrounding the old oak tree…the relationships with the three people, Takai-san, Noriko-san and that strange man._

None of these we had answers for. Even if we were able to free Takai-san and Noriko-san, I knew that Naru wouldn't be satisfied without his fill of answers.

None of us would. We didn't want to leave things a mystery, and Naru as a the first case that he couldn't solve.

…

When Bou-san returned he apologized, to which I was surprised at. He'd only been trying to keep me safe. Afterwards we were on good terms again. Masako and John were at the base while Ayako tried to 'settle things down' with her exorcising the room.

Naru had Lin give me a charm, which I wrapped around my right hand. Extra cameras were turned on - precautions, though they would probably not withstand a fire if it were to occur. Bou-san stood right outside the door just in case. It turned dark too soon to my liking.

And so I did enter the room, the place where so much had occurred and where I'd seen so much.

I couldn't help but feel…frightened. I clutched the charm tightly in one hand, but could feel its power slowly trickling away.

…

"…Eh?" I sharply gasped and sat up. _Had I fallen asleep?_ No, I wouldn't do such a careless thing at times like this. Suddenly I felt a chill and the strange, familiar lightness surrounding me. Then it could only mean one thing…

I was suddenly blinded by the fire that rose from underneath my feet. I fell, coughing and squinting open one eye, desperately searching for Naru. He was there, as familiar now as the flames. Only this time we were able to get closer to the window sill than before. And upon exchanging the familiar words with the dying man at my side, I knew that we wouldn't be able to escape.

He kept begging me to try.

But again, the all too frightening clarity of the smoke fogging my vision and lungs started to overcome me, and I suddenly realized something - something that made a chill run over and a shiver like I'd never felt before.

_I'm going to die…_

"I don't understand –" I cried, "It's supposed to be _different_ this time Naru!"

He weakly pushed against my leg, his arm waving off towards the open window. "Go, Noriko. Please, go."

I was stuck. "I...bu-"

The scene was running through my head as I thought how it should be. We would reach the window sill and Naru and I would somehow manage ourselves to our feet, grasp over, outward to the chill air outside and climb out, away from the fiery containment and hell. It made perfect sense in my mind, I couldn't realize why…

Then I looked back at the gasping figure beside me.

And suddenly I understood.

"Nar –Takai-kun." I whispered. It was as if the heat was melting off Naru's features and finally revealing the true man. He looked slightly older than Naru, with brown hair and lost eyes. An overlapping ghost upon Naru.

"Takai-kun." I insisted, roughly rubbing away forming tears. "There's nothing to forgive. This – it wasn't your fault I died."

I heard him let out a sob and it tug at my heart. "Can't you see? For whatever reason, she – I wasn't meant to escape with you that night. No matter how many time you come back I _will die_."

"Because of me –"

He seemed to be stuck in a loop of a sort. I lowered my body so heavy from the heat and smoke. "Please let go."

And despite the roaring of the flames and cracking of wood and stone, there was a dull silence between us. I gave a start and looked up. A hand had reached out to the side of my face and when I met his eyes, they belonged not to Naru but to Takai.

He smiled slightly and leaned in. "Thank you." He whispered. I couldn't find the heart in me to lean away when his lips met mine.

The next moment I felt a great passing of cool air and a sort of softness under me. I was shivering and coughing loudly. My chest felt like it could burst. Yellow, red, orange, an array of such beautiful dancing colors were performing in front of me. I could smell smoke and knew that something was burning…

The mansion was on fire.

Panicked footsteps were all around me and through smoke and haze and the grass blades so close to my face, I could see Bou-san lifting me up and carrying me away. I was out of breath, and so tired. As the far off sounds of alarms drew close, I fell asleep and whispered one last sentence.

"You're free now, you're free."

Little did I know that we were still far from ending the case.

* * *

Cheesy I know xp but the story is drawing to a close! Sorry for not updating for so long...

Hopefully after the next closure chapter, you check out my other GH fic, **Whispering Pages**. Much better writing I promise you.


	6. Chapter 6

Last Chapter. Ah I'm so lazy…sorry for taking forever

Previously:

And despite the roaring of the flames and cracking of wood and stone, there was a dull silence between us. I gave a start and looked up. A hand had reached out to the side of my face and when I met his eyes, they belonged not to Naru but to Takai.

He smiled slightly and leaned in. "Thank you." He whispered. I couldn't find the heart in me to lean away when his lips met mine.

The next moment I felt a great passing of cool air and a sort of softness under me. I was shivering and coughing loudly. My chest felt like it could burst. Yellow, red, orange, an array of such beautiful dancing colors were performing in front of me. I could smell smoke and knew that something was burning…

The mansion was on fire.

Panicked footsteps were all around me and through smoke and haze and the grass blades so close to my face, I could see Bou-san lifting me up and carrying me away. I was out of breath, and so tired. As the far off sounds of alarms drew close, I fell asleep and whispered one last sentence.

"You're free now, you're free."

Little did I know that we were still far from ending the case.

File 10: Part 6 – Fiery Confinement

- Conclusions -

I could hear the tapping of Naru's pen from a few feet away - his face a mask of seriousness and irritation. He was in the process of marking off the equipment that he, Lin-san and Bou-san had been able to save from the fire. Luckily most of the computers had been carried out, with only a few serious loses.

It was a sight to see, the burned down mansion. I was standing next to the SPR van 30 meters or so away from the entrance and could see the whole structure. The right end of it had completely burned down before the firemen had arrived, leaving only the left half of the mansion intact. It was such a drastic contrast connected to one another that I couldn't take my eyes off it.

It was early in the morning and the smoke was finally starting to clear. No one had truly slept through the night and we were all tired and yet still curious. Even though Takai-san's spirit had gone to peace, we still didn't know all of the facts. There were still a few kinks to figure out.

It was obvious that Naru was planning to figure things out, otherwise he would have told us to get in our separate rides and go home until further notice. I didn't mind, but for now I wanted to take a short nap. Ayako was beside me talking with Bou-san about a few things and Masako was off talking a short stroll with John.

I walked around to the trunk of the van. All of the cameras and computers had been stored so I sat down at the edge with nothing to do. My face was still streaked with ash, yet I was too tired to go wash up or change my clothes that smelled like smoke. I almost felt as though I could suffocate from the stench, yet at the same time it was making my eyelids feel like lead.

Leaning against a window, I fell into a deep sleep.

…

Flashes of bright yellow, splotches of red. I was engulfed in a warm feeling. I couldn't help but think that this case held the record for most number of 'dreams by Mai'. As my eyes opened, I realized that this dream was different. No Naru, no fight, no fire.

The warm feeling was from the afternoon sun. Like watching from a pair of camera lens, I was swept out the open window, down to the view of the great oak besides the pond. No Chrysanthemums were surrounding it, but I could see a young and beautiful woman by the water, her hand softly resting upon the trunk of the tree.

The tree was still young. The branches were not yet as knotted or spread out as I'd seen it when we'd arrived at the mansion. The woman, with a smile on her lips, kneeled down and took a seat at the base of the willow. I couldn't see her eyes. The laughter that escaped her lips was somewhat off sync with her movements and scenes blurred into one another. A man came to her and swept her off her feet. I was suddenly her, Noriko-san, and saw the world spinning by. Sheer bliss ran through my body.

Happiness. They were both experiencing a beautiful love. With each passing minute, the feeling grew. Naru was nowhere to be found and I began to grow confused as to why I was seeing such a dream. A few months passed between the two lovers. I was suddenly standing a few feet away, watching Noriko-san standing in the rain at the willow tree. The overhead branches somewhat sheltered her, but raindrops fell off her in cold streams. Takai-san arrived and something that was a passionate red was pressed into her hands. A Chrysanthemum.

I tiled my head with confusion as I watched a single petal fall to the ground. Then something hit me. Pieces of past conversations began to spring back into my memory.

"_Ehh…There are only Chrysanthemums. "_

"_It's probably because this place is near a grave or something.."_

"_There is a separated area with gravestones farther along the path next to the tree. It's from the story that the daughter of the first owners of the mansion had quite a liking to the Chrysanthemums. She disappeared with her lover 50 years ago after a fire. Their bodies were never found."_

_Naru walked up to the old oak and placed a calming hand on it, as if secretly asking help. Then he looked past the blooming flowers and to the graves far away. I saw his dark eyes dart up the road to where the flowers abruptly were cut off and to the bottoms of our feet where they were in full bloom._

"_It's strange that tree is at the center of the Chrysanthemums, isn't it?" he whispered. _

I felt pressure on every inch of me until my skin and voice became someone else's. "I love you Takai-kun. Always."

There was a blinding white light.

My eyes snapped open, and all I could see was darkness. There were stars in front of me and I couldn't see anything for a long while. I blinked hard when my eyes adjusted to the darkness and removed the covers to check the time. I'd been moved back into the house and covered with a blanket. How long had I been out? I was up an hour earlier than I should have been, but there was no way that I could go back to sleep. Tiptoeing past Ayako and Masako's beds, I got dressed by the door and left the room.

…

The willow tree looked much older in the light of the sunrise. There were many soft shades that brought life to the leaves. I turned when thin rays of light that had slipped through the branches bounced off the surface of the lake and glittered.

Slowly walking around the tree confirmed that the Chrysanthemums surrounded only that area of the land. It was so very peaceful that I almost forgot my purpose of coming down to the lake in the first place. I took a few steps back into a large patch of flowers and took a long look at the base of the tree. I recalled Noriko gazing at Takai with such love in her eyes, her standing with a broken look on her face, trying to keep the pain inside of her. As an old woman knelt over a particularly shaped knot in the roots. A light buzz filled me as something beckoned me over. I traced my fingers over the numerous lines, feeling the rough patches of bark, wrinkled with age as does a human's face.

"Mai."

I turned, slightly startled at hearing another person's voice in the peaceful world that had seemed to only belong to me. A tear fell from my eyes and down my cheek. I raised a hand to the wetness and blinked with surprise.

"Naru. It's here. She's buried here. It all started and ended on this spot."

And like his other reactions, all I could see alter in his expression was the brief understanding in his eyes. "Come on, it's cold outside," he said, softer than I'd anticipated. "We'll head back to the left wing and get the others. You can tell them of the dream there."

…

"…And that's what I saw." I finished just as we had reached the Chrysanthemum patch again. I moved with precision to the direct spot where I knew we had to unearth the truth. Naru came over with the shovel and carefully began to loosen the dirt. It was 10 A.M., a couple of hours before Sou Tamaki would return to his mansion and we would have to leave the area. My chest burned with the need to know if I was right. That with this, Takai and Noriko's souls would be at peace together and their story would be a revered and treasured one.

It was a few minutes before I saw the flicker of something red. I motioned for Naru to stop and got on my hands and knees. John came next to me to help pull handfuls of sand out of the hole. And before all our eyes, a beautiful round wooden chest was uncovered. I breathed a low sigh, shaken with relief. Our fingers brushed the engraved signatures on the lid, inked with a red that matched the blood red flowers that surrounded its burial place.

"Well what do you know?" Bou-san said.

"I guess that line from Noriko's note makes sense now," Ayaka said with a smile directed at me. "'_Return the rest to the grounds.' _She was talking about this hiding spot."

We opened the lid and sure enough found the rest of the notes laying on top of each other, crumpled and flaky with age. There was a photo stuck to the inside of the lid, a young man and woman with bright smiles, blushes on their cheeks. Mixed with the pieces of paper was a leather black box. It creaked open to reveal an engagement ring. I ran my finger across the gem with a sad smile.

I nodded, satisfied. "Now to find Noriko…"

We dug and replanted flowers for the next two hours, only to find nothing but worms. The further we widened our search, the more I began to panic. Were we not digging enough? Had I been wrong? I was so sure that Noriko was close by. If not beneath the flowers that symbolized her love, then where?

I heard Ayako mention the time, felt a hand brush my back, but I couldn't tear my eyes from my brown hands. The part of me that knew I had failed was overwhelming.

"I don't understand. She sent me a message in my dream." My voice became laced with choked tears. "She came back to say goodbye to Takai-san one last time."

"Mai. We have to leave now." Naru's voice wasn't cold, but it was far from comforting. I bit my lip, but silently followed.

As of that moment, the case was over for him. After that, the ride back to SPR was a blur. A familiar car drove up just as we were getting into ours. Tamaki-san got out with his daughter Kana, both their eyes glued to the damage done to their summer home. They tried avoiding everyone from SPR, except for Naru who would not be ignored. He handed over the small chest we'd found as well as its secrets. They spoke for a few moments pertaining to the details of the case and the explanation to his burned down mansion. Tamaki-san's face remained ashamed throughout the exchange from his earlier abandonment and Naru's professional stance.

After that it was the same old routine. Store away the equipment and finish the case file. Only this time, everyone was walking eggshells around me; even Masako. And for my sake as well as theirs, I tried putting the guilt behind me when the weekend came.

Three Days Later

SPR Office

I knew I found it too odd when Naru met my eyes as I entered the office Monday morning. I gave a friendly wave to Lin and the others, brushing it off as a strange and rare coincidence. But then I turned around with his tea to find that once again, our eyes were still locked.

"Y-yes?" I asked half worried, the other half scared. I eyed John for help.

"I received a call from Tamaki-san yesterday with a bit of news."

I raised my eyebrows expectantly. I didn't understand why Naru was telling me directly and not addressing the rest of the room. But his next words erased any confusion that I'd had.

"They found Noriko-san's body last night. She wasn't directly near the tree, but a ways up the trail. The tombstones you and Takigawa found on the second day; it wasn't a proper grave, but her bones were found in a box beneath them. She, as well as Takai-san, is going to be given a proper burial by my and Sou-san's request."

I imagined that if he'd been like any other boss in the world, he would have been smiling at me at that moment. But instead it was that same emotionless face, the monotone voice that might as well have been telling me about his joy of tea. But I swear I could see a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. I was grinning so wide that my cheeks began to ache. I resisted the urge to run and hug my boss, so I made do with Bou-san, who laughed and ruffled my hair. I closed my eyes in a small prayer. Noriko had been found.

"Thank you Naru."

"I didn't do anything," He replied. But I knew he'd mentioned it to Sou-san before we'd left the mansion.

Bou-san sat back on the couch as I pulled away, his head comfortably tilted back and his body in a please position. His smug voice shot a challenge at our boss.

"By the way Naru, what was that about not damaging the client's home?"

I sighed wearily and shook my head. Naru had been very touchy on that subject, and quite annoyed that things hadn't gone accordingly to his plan. But I couldn't help but feel beaten to the punch with that line.

"It turned out to be an inevitable situation. There was no way that I could stop the fire from spreading myself."

Bou-san just shrugged and grinned. Naru was in a strangely good mood. His voice didn't have a sting to it as usual. Ayako shook her head at him and asked me for more sugar in her tea.

Just like that, the "Fiery Confinement" case was officially finished and put to an end.

Rest in peace, Takai-san, Noriko-san.

The End.

* * *

Merry Christmas everyone!

Thanks so much for reading this, even though it was mediocre (My first ever attempt at mystery lol) and it took me forever to post the conclusion. Leave a review if you feel like it J Go to my profile and friend me on Face book ;)


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